Proving Ground
by LadyJane08
Summary: Set in Season One, the team plus a few others go exploring but not everything goes according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any profit!

Set in Season One, after "Underground" but before "The Storm".

Please review- I know that I have a lot to learn and I would like to improve. There are two more chapters to come, and I will be updating in a couple of days.

-SGA-

"Prime," guessed Lieutenant Ford over the radio.

"Wrong again!" crowed McKay gleefully. "Seriously Ford, it's not that hard, even if you are guessing. Still, you're military I suppose- allowances must be made."

"Well we can't all be good at everything, Doctor," answered Ford in a somewhat strained voice. Sheppard could hear the young lieutenant's frustration increasing, even over the radio.

"Try again. 94183?"

Pausing for a moment, Major John Sheppard considered whether or not to intervene. He was standing in the shade of a tall fir tree, nicely cool behind his aviator shades. Although the grass was of a golden brown colour rather than green, it was the motley collection of suns and moons gracing the sky that made it clear to all that this was an alien planet. It was one of the first he'd been to so far, actually, that was so clearly – well - alien. Even this one wasn't completely outlandish, what with the rather Earth-like evergreen forest swathing the hillside.

Deciding that McKay's ego shouldn't be allowed to run completely unchecked, he tapped his radio, opening a private channel to Ford.

"Not prime, Lieutenant," he informed casually, flicking his eyes back to his scientist to check up on his progress. Dr Probst was evidently nothing if not thorough, carefully recording and detailing each individual section of the crumbled ruins on both notepad and camcorder. Sheppard however was beginning to get a little bored, and thus had begun to follow McKay's game with Ford.

"Lucky guess," scoffed McKay over the radio, still using his 'I am superior to the lowly military grunt' voice.

"Two factors, Ford, 59 and 1607."

"Not a guess, Dr McKay. It has two factors, 59 and 1607. Right?" Ford's voice was still on the public channel. Chuckling to himself, Sheppard grinned. McKay would have no idea.

Silence reigned across the airwaves. Clearly it was taking McKay a little while to come up with a suitable retort.

"Thanks, Sir," came Ford's voice a little quietly, this time on a private channel of his own.

"No problem, Lieutenant. Can't let those pesky scientists have all the fun."

Glancing at his watch, Major Sheppard decided that it was probably time to start heading back to the others. Sheppard's team, with the addition of two scientists and an extra marine – Captain Janssen, a steady, reliable chap – had been exploring the ruins on M18-234 for the past several hours. Ringing the stargate and DHD with crumbled, gold-coloured stone once ornately carved and decorated, the ruins had reminded Sheppard of a trip to Stonehenge, years ago now. It had that same air of intrigue, and secrets long forgotten. Someone had clearly built this place for a purpose, although now all that remained were the unstable archways and worn away carvings. Closer to the DHD they were better preserved with shoulder height walls and some piles of what must have once been ceiling, implying that there may have been a structure around the stargate, in addition to the stone patterns further away up the hillside.

McKay et al. had been thrilled to bits, chattering on about Ancient influences in the architecture and speculating over the teasing hints of a 'treasure' mentioned briefly in the garbled and only semi-translated texts remaining on the walls. Sheppard, however, remained dubious. They had yet to find anything useful, and McKay had grudgingly admitted that they would have been able to detect a ZPM upon arrival using their sensors, whether it was full or partially depleted.

He and Captain Janssen had escorted Dr Probst to the brow of the hill as he traced and documented the swirling tendrils of crumbled stone. It had been tentatively dated at 5,000 years old, thus explaining the large amount of weathering that seemed to have taken place since its construction. It was curious that the relatively dense evergreen forest spreading away from the edges of the stones had not grown over them to a larger degree, but that was a question for the scientists, Sheppard decided. Gazing onto the tan meadow and knee high grass growing in and around the site below his vantage point, Sheppard didn't really see how this place could be of huge importance, but the German scientist had clearly found something that was proving to be at least somewhat interesting. Teyla was stuck with McKay who was evidently in full force today, and Ford was playing escort to Dr Paver, a nice young woman from archaeology. _Could probably benefit from a little time in the gym, though_, mused Sheppard. _Not that we even have any gym equipment._

Before McKay could come up with another number for Ford, Sheppard switched back to the public channel to make an announcement.

"Time to head home, folks. Teyla, Ford, escort your scientists back to the gate. Myself, Captain Janssen and Doctor Probst will meet you there shortly. Sheppard out."

A chorus of acknowledgements crackled through the radio, along with a complaint from McKay that he was not a possession to be carted around, which the major chose to ignore.

Leaning forwards with a stretch, Sheppard motioned to Captain Janssen, who had been patrolling on the other side of Dr Probst.

"Time to go, Doctor," called Sheppard. The wiry, blond haired German glanced up quickly, looking like a child at school who had just had their favourite toy taken away.

"But, Major, these ruins, they are so fascinating, and can you not see this pattern, like this, see-" his hands flew in the air, sketching shapes. "It could mean-"

Sheppard's suspicions had been correct, Dr Probst had removed his radio. Still, the prime/not prime game and McKay's constant harping could have been interpreted as rather distracting, he supposed, so he decided to forgo the security lecture and let it slide. After all, Probst, despite being the furthest from the gate, was being escorted by both himself and Janssen.

"Don't worry, Doc. We can come back soon, but it's time to check in at Atlantis. Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm thinking it's just about time for dinner. Wouldn't you agree, Captain?"

"Yes, sir!" answered the marine, thoroughly grounded in protocol and a little thrown by his CO's casual demeanour. It made Sheppard a little uneasy, but he figured that his men – God, it was still kind of scary to think of it that way – that they would get used to his rather… _individual _command style.

Of course, having never been in command of an entire _base_ before, he was still working that out himself. But still. First things first.

"Come on," said Sheppard, moving out of the shade into the hot sunshine to help Dr Probst make the descent. Captain Janssen picked up the remaining pieces of science equipment, and all three began to negotiate their way down the hillside around the gnarled mess of tree roots and broken blocks of stone, interspersed with razor sharp brown coloured grass. Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, Major John Sheppard decided that he was more than ready for a nice cold shower back on Atlantis. There was plenty for the scientists to investigate back at the city, anyway.

-SGA-

Breathing a barely audible sigh of relief, Teyla greeted Lieutenant Ford as she arrived at the gate. It had become clear to her that Doctor McKay did not like walking very far at all - especially on such a hot day - even if the reward was a look at some "highly interesting" ruins. Teyla admired the physicist greatly and in part viewed him as a friend, but even she had her limits. Such verbosity and egocentricity were rare personality traits among her people, where survival meant banding together against the wraith, sacrificing perhaps the desire of the individual to rest and be idle to the greater need of the community for shelter and sustenance, indeed survival itself. Still, she was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that there was more to this man than met the eye on the first, second or even third glance.

"I believe the Major will be joining us shortly, Aiden," said Teyla, smiling. "Dr Probst wished only to go a short distance further than Dr McKay did, so we should not have long to wait."

"Good," replied Ford. "I don't like this place." He glanced around a little uneasily. The gate was surrounded by broken walls and archways, obstructing his view. Still, they had not found anything on the planet to cause them undue alarm, and the MALP probe had not shown any lifesigns. It was probably nothing. "Plus, I'm boiling. I used to think the summers back home were hot, but two suns? Jeez."

Teyla smiled. She had travelled to this planet before to visit these ruins and knew just how hot it could get, especially during the summer season of this world. The ruins had been a sacred site to a group of people she had once traded with. They had lived on another world and had travelled here biannually on a pilgrimage. Until they had been wiped out by the wraith, that is. She had been correct in her assumption that the newcomers from Earth would wish to see this place.

"I can't believe how rubbish you are at math, Lieutenant," grumbled a panting McKay, who had arrived just after Teyla. Apparently he had decided to try to catch his breath before speaking. Now, however, anyone was fair game. "I mean, one correct answer after an hour and a half? Seriously, what do they teach you at military marine man school?"

Dr Paver jumped in just before Ford could himself.

"Well, how many gym lessons did you have to take during your physics degree, Doctor?" Her brunette hair bounced a little as she flicked her head towards Rodney. Ford had arguably had the 'easiest' scientist to escort. Dr Paver had worked quietly and conscientiously, admiring and examining the ancient site with interest, and occasionally joining in over the radio to take Rodney down a peg or two. Or to try to, anyway.

"I'll have you know that I do not simply hold a mere degree in physics, _Doctor_. I have three PhD's in the real sciences, which ultimately makes me much more qualified than an archaeologist, for goodness' sakes," sneered Rodney.

Teyla rested on a section of broken wall as she listened to the two colleagues debate with each other, one defending the merits of her specialty and the other attacking. Sometimes these people still confused her. She had asked Rodney what a PhD was, but had found herself lost in a diatribe involving his thesis on theoretical quantum physics. Or some such mouthful, anyway_. Perhaps Major Sheppard would have been the better person to ask,_ she decided.

A rustle of leaves and a snapping twig somewhere behind their position drew her attention instantly. However, expecting to see Major Sheppard appear, she did not reach for her weapon, instead merely turning in anticipation.

That was a mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not mine, still no profit :)

Thanks for the reviews, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

-SGA-

The first indication he had that something was wrong was the sharp crack of gunfire from somewhere below, coming from the direction of the gate.

The second was Lieutenant Ford's worried voice crackling over the radio.

"Major, we're under attack, I repeat, we are under attack".

Breaking into a run, Major Sheppard hastily thumbed his own radio. "Fall back and take cover. Hold your position."

Pausing only briefly to glance behind him, Sheppard saw that Dr Probst had abandoned his equipment, as had Captain Janssen, who was reaching for his P-90. Both were breaking into a jog as they moved to keep up. _Good_, he thought.

"Right, Dr Probst, stay in the middle and do what I tell you. Especially if I say duck." Probst nodded. "Janssen, cover our sixes. No way of knowing what we're dealing with here. Your priority is to keep Probst safe, understand?"

"Yes sir!" responded Janssen, dodging a long-collapsed section of wall.

With a sharp nod, Sheppard increased their pace further, his mind whirring as he sped past boulders and loose scree. Who could be attacking them, and why? Why had there been no lifesigns? Could the time between the MALP recon that morning and their departure from Atlantis only a short time afterwards have really been enough for an ambush to be set up? And if so, then why wait this long, why not strike when they had first arrived and the gate had just been shut down?

Sporadic bursts of gunfire fuelled his speed, as did the answering retort of P-90 fire, which was both reassuring and worrying at the same time. As they neared the general location of the stargate, he slowed slightly, dodging into the cover of the ruins.

"Ford, update," he commanded in a soft voice.

"We're about 50 yards due east of the Gate, behind a partially collapsed section of wall. Kinda looks like a hide-out, walls on three sides." More gunfire. "I'm counting ten bandits. Teyla already got one. Think I winged another guy on the arm."

"Affirmative. Cover our approach. Sheppard out."

Altering their course, Sheppard led Janssen and Probst towards Ford's 'hide out'. The slightly non-textbook description had been necessary though, as the mess of stone made the area as a whole rather labyrinthine. Sighting the telltale flash of a P-90 muzzle from behind a stone wall, Sheppard laid down a few rounds of covering fire as he watched Probst and Janssen slip between the walls to relative safety. As soon as they were inside, he followed.

-SGA-

Ford couldn't help but be relieved by the sight of his CO slipping stealthily, calmly through the faux-doorway. Their position was still not good, their cover fairly mediocre and the odds definitely not in their favour. But having even the temporary burden of command over the scientists removed - and Teyla too, to an extent - was welcome.

Darting up again to lay down more fire, Ford scanned the lumps of stone stretching in front of them. Still no clear visual. A flash of pale skin, of clothing or a gleam of a weapon so far, but nothing more. It was, however, enough to determine that their attackers were not wraith. _I guess that's the silver lining to this storm cloud?_

Returning to a crouch, he swivelled to face his CO as Janssen moved forwards to join Teyla in holding back the as yet unidentified hostiles.

"What's the plan, sir?"

Ford waited. Major Sheppard's face did not betray any emotions at all, save for intense concentration. Not even breathing hard, his face was furrowed in thought, and his eyes steeling over. Ford had only been waiting barely a moment when the Major spoke.

It occurred to Ford, suddenly, that Sheppard hadn't really been tested in out and out combat, yet. Sure, there had been darts, and the stunt with the Genii. And the iratus bug. But no firearms, no ambushes without puddle jumpers.

He wished that there was a majestic Lantean puddle jumper hovering above them right now. More specifically, he momentarily hoped for the jumper which he and the major had souped up with a few extra offensive capabilities. _Yeah, that'd sure come in handy today..._

-SGA-

"Ok. Teyla, Janssen, duck down for a sec." They did so. "We need to run distraction, get to the gate and get the scientists through. Janssen, you're with me. Under covering fire, we'll break for cover closer to the DHD. While we try to pick off as many hostiles as possible, Teyla and Ford will cover Drs. McKay, Probst and Paver."

Sheppard caught Teyla's eye and together they darted up to take aim once again at the hostiles. Returning to cover, Sheppard turned to the scientists.

"Focus on running. If you feel comfortable using your handguns, feel free to do so, but that's not your priority. McKay, you dial the gate."

"I, um, well-- I've had firearms training, I could maybe-".

"No buts, McKay. Dial the gate, get your ass through. End of discussion." He caught Janssen's eye. "At that point, we all cover each other and make for the gate. We can't afford to be caught up in a firefight, we're not packing enough ordnance. Everybody clear?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Yes, Major."

A whispered, "Ja," came from Dr. Probst just a beat afterwards. Sheppard flashed him what he hoped was a confident grin. He might know that from the sound of the guns, they were facing a pretty advanced enemy – advanced as in post- arrows and slingshots but pre- nukes and RPG's - and that there were definitely more than the ten which had so far been confirmed, but it wouldn't help for everyone to start falling apart. He just hoped that it wasn't the Genii; he'd had enough of them to last him for a good long while. If it was though, then their strategy was a bit lax, not to have taken advantage of them by now.

In fact, they were practically pinned down in this ramshackle 'hide-out', Sheppard reminded himself. So why…?

"Let's go, Captain." A mutual nod, and then the two soldiers emerged simultaneously from behind their cover, P-90's roaring away. Sprinting forwards to a conveniently placed boulder a short distance from the DHD, Sheppard sprayed the tree line, where he figured the ten confirmed hostiles would probably have reinforcements waiting.

He then focussed on the flashes of movement in the rubble. An arm, a leg. A flash of hair. Janssen got two, he got three. That made five, plus Teyla's one. Six, then. Enough to drive them back, he figured.

"Teyla, Ford, move it!"

Switching from pinpoint aim to cover fire, he and Janssen kept the path clear for the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see McKay bent double at the DHD, the symbols lighting up one by one as the stargate began to dial. Ford and Teyla had Probst and Paver covered, both of whom were looking a little scared but as yet – thankfully – uninjured.

Sheppard was beginning to wonder at their good luck.

It seemed like hours before he heard the whoosh of the wormhole initialising, minutes while he punched in his IDC, precious seconds while he confirmed it over the radio.

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard. We're coming in hot, I repeat, coming in hot."

There was a sudden increase in the crescendo of enemy gunfire. Teyla and Ford had joined he and Janssen, but covering fire would only ever work for so long.

"McKay, get your ass through the gate!" he bellowed, knowing that the physicist would take the other scientists with him. Rodney's self-preservation streak didn't just cover himself, despite what he often professed to anyone who'd listen.

-SGA-

Elizabeth Weir rushed out of her office when she heard the stargate begin to activate. She knew that Sheppard's team was due back in about thirty minutes, but – call her paranoid – so far in the Pegasus galaxy, unexpected dial-ins had not usually presaged anything good. Not that they ever had back at the SGC in the Milky Way either, for that matter. Before she could get the question out of her mouth, she was informed that it was Major Sheppard's IDC, and before she could ask for an explanation, the Major's steady voice had come over the radio.

Hot. Coming in hot.

She never liked the sound of those words. They could never bode well.

So it was with some relief that she saw Drs McKay, Probst and Paver come sprinting through the gate, looking tired but whole and healthy- no screaming, no red bandages.

"Keep the shield down!" called Rodney. "The others are coming, they're right behind us." He paused for breath, allowing Dr Paver a chance to jump in.

"We were ambushed, Doctor Weir. Don't know who, but they've got guns. Probably destroying the texts engraved on the ruins, but," she gave a nervous laugh, "no _real_ injuries so far."

Dr Probst nodded emphatically. "Ja. They be here in just one minute more. Ich bin ganz sicher…"

Still, they weren't through yet. She tapped her radio decisively.

"Medical team to the gate room."

Better safe than sorry.

-SGA-

Once the scientists were through, Sheppard felt a modicum of relief. The innocents had been removed from the equation, and he could now focus completely on the military angle to this situation.

"Captain, fall back to the DHD, I repeat, fall back."

He and Janssen had been forced to fan out. It wasn't impossible that Ford's original count of ten had been correct, but it had since become clear that in all likelihood, Ford had underestimated their numbers. It was likely, after all, that there had been others hiding in the woods, probably still were. But whatever the truth, Sheppard's team was now becoming severely outnumbered. It was time to high tail it out of there.

Major Sheppard began to move backwards, towards the DHD where Teyla and Ford were pinned down. As he did so, he felt a sharp, searing burst of pain in his left arm, the force of the bullet pushing him down.

"Sir?!" came Ford's voice, tense over the radio.

Mentally focussing on the pain relief and sheer drive provided by the adrenaline that he knew was coursing through his system, he rolled back onto his feet, running once again towards his two team mates. He could see Janssen not much further away than him, approaching from an opposite angle.

"Tripped," lied Sheppard unconvincingly, hoping that the wound wouldn't bleed too much before he could get a dressing on it.

And then there was the DHD, and there was Ford, and Teyla, who was wearing her "I am about to kick butt" expression. Sheppard grinned, despite the situation at hand. The stargate was glowing a cheery blue over her left shoulder. Janssen was just feet away.

"Ford, Teyla, through the gate! I'll cover you."

The young lieutenant looked as though he wanted to protest, Teyla too, and Sheppard understood, but now wasn't the time.

"Move it!" he ordered, steadfastly ignoring his throbbing arm. The retort of his P-90 seemed to dig the bullet a fraction deeper with each action.

Running the last few feet flat out, both Teyla and then Ford made it through. Just Janssen, and then they'd all be safe.

But suddenly Janssen wasn't running anymore; he was on the ground, red pooling on the stones he'd fallen onto, trickling along the grooves in the carved rock.

"Damnit!" yelled Sheppard to no one in particular, leaping to his feet.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still not mine, etc. :)

This is the final chapter. Hope you like it, and a big thank you to everyone who has left me a review!

-SGA-

As Sheppard sprinted towards Janssen, they locked eyes momentarily. As sometimes happened in combat situations, the Major found that one brief moment carried the conversation of hours. In a single glance, Janssen's eyes said _leave me_, and Sheppard's said _not a chance. It's not worth it _and _don't give up_; _this is suicide_ and _this is rescue_.

Ducking down to his knees and rolling Janssen behind a far-too-small chunk of rock, Sheppard fired his P-90 into the tree line once more, hearing the empty click and knowing he needed to take the time to reload. First, though, he needed to tend to Janssen's wound. The soldier was losing blood at a steady and worryingly swift rate. With evident expertise, he ripped open one of the field bandages stowed in his vest, and applied it forcefully to the wound located just below the Captain's left shoulder. Within seconds, a bloom of scarlet was spreading outwards, but slower than before, Sheppard thought. It was serious, he knew, but flying med-evac in a desert millions upon millions of miles away, Sheppard had seen soldiers survive worse.

"Hold on, Captain. We'll be back to Atlantis in no time at all."

Janssen nodded in reply, biting his lip and attempting to control his breathing.

Reloading, the Major prepared to go on the offensive. He knew that he needed a plan, and fast- there was no way he could hold off an unknown number of hostiles while defending a wounded man with virtually no cover and very little ammo.

In fact, he shouldn't even have been able to do so for this long as it was.

In line with the wonderful tradition of irony in the Pegasus galaxy, at the precise moment that Sheppard connected enough dots to figure out what was about to happen and was able to think about what he could do to prevent it, it happened.

A hail of gunfire erupted in the air above his head, roaring an angry bellow and sending small chunks of rock ricocheting through the air like shrapnel. Crouching lower and shielding Janssen, Major Sheppard could only watch as a stream of uniformed men emerged from the trees, running at breakneck speed straight for the 'gate, firing at his precarious position along the way.

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard. Raise the shield, I repeat, raise the shield immediately!" barked Sheppard into the radio, hoping that Weir wouldn't hesitate.

_It's not actually such a bad plan. Not the stupidest thing that's been tried since we've been here, anyway.._. Chasing the Atlantis team towards the gate, allowing them to get through to make sure that the way was open, then making sure that some were delayed- wounding one to provide a distraction. In theory, it would potentially allow a relatively large strike force to get into the city. Of course, it was dependant on Atlantis having the shield down- which it would be, to let in their own people. _So maybe these guys don't realise we can raise it quickly? Or maybe they don't know for sure that we have a shield as such, and figured this'd be enough to get them through whatever defences we do have._

Sheppard watched as more and more men dove through the bright blue wormhole. About twenty five in all, he estimated. Possibly Genii, though the uniforms seemed to be of an older design. Rogues, then? Every back-stabbing nation of pissed-off soldiers had to have its deserters and exiles just itching to get back into the good books of the mainstream, after all. And what better way to do that than by storming and holding the City of the Ancestors? Particularly after the debacle of ruined relations a couple weeks ago.

It would have been easier for them to just kill him and his team though. They'd certainly had the opportunity. _Unless they're trying to play nice this time? Hoping for co-operation?_

Just as the last soldier went through, the gate shut down. Sheppard breathed a sigh of relief, emerging from their cover slowly and checking the perimeter. It seemed that the Genii or whoever they were – or by now, whoever they _had _been - had all gone through the gate. All in one shot; rather naïve, really. Definitely not mainstream militia.

"See, Janssen? What'd I tell you. No worries." Sheppard, supporting Janssen's weight, moved forwards. "All we gotta' do now is dial it up and we'll be home before you know it. Course, you'll be stuck with Doc Beckett for a while, but I'm sure we can arrange to save you some popcorn from movie night. I've got a secret store, but don't tell McKay."

Captain Janssen tried to agree with Sheppard, but was fading fast. He was pale and Sheppard knew that time was of the essence.

"Not to worry, from personal experience I can assure you that although he's a Scot, he's not all bad."

A breathy, pain-filled chuckle was all he got in response.

Sheppard was at the DHD now, speaking louder as the symbols lit up in the familiar pattern that meant Atlantis, and safety. It took far too long, but eventually there was a reassuring _whoosh_ and then the way was open.

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard, do you read?"

"Go ahead, Major. What's the situation?"

"Our friends here decided to take a trip through the gate- I guess they got to meet our gate shield. Janssen's wounded pretty bad, requesting safe passage and a med team."

"Done and done. Come on home."

Taking the weight of the now unconscious soldier as gently as he possibly could, Major Sheppard carried the wounded Captain through the event horizon with only a final glance around the area.

_Well __that's about as close to anti-climatic as you can get in this galaxy,_ thought Sheppard.

-SGA-

"I need a Doctor here," he called out, stepping into the spacious gate room and realising that the adrenalin was leaving his system. He passed Janssen over to Doctor Beckett and the waiting gurney, upon which the Captain was swiftly whisked away. Sheppard could only watch, concern etched over his features.

Elizabeth and the rest of his team came forwards to meet him.

"Major," began Elizabeth. "Nice of you to drop by." She tried to smile, but the moment of humour fell flat.

"What happened out there, sir?" interrupted Ford, his eyes betraying the guilt he felt for leaving Sheppard and Janssen alone.

Sheppard took a breath, trying to hold his focus. "Janssen got hit on his final approach to the 'gate. It's pretty bad. Had to get us both behind some cover. The hostiles made a break for the gate, I guess they figured it was a good way to bypass the shield."

Rodney snorted loudly. "What a stupid plan! We'd only have to raise the shield and-"

"I know, Rodney," he replied tiredly. "So. They ran through, you raised the shield. Gate shut off, I dialled out, end of story."

"Do you have any idea who-" began Elizabeth.

"I think Genii, maybe rogues. Not mainstream, too sloppy for that."

Sheppard wavered a little on his feet, and Teyla stepped forwards to hold onto his elbow.

"Major Sheppard, you are wounded? From when you… 'tripped'?" Teyla raised her eyebrows a little, making her allusions obvious to everyone.

_Trust Teyla to pull me up on it first_, thought Sheppard slightly woozily. Everyone's eyes were upon him now, staring at his arm and the bright red stain on his uniform. He wondered idly how they could distinguish between Janssen's blood and his own.

"John, you should have said!" reproached Elizabeth, beckoning over a medic.

"'S nothing, just a flesh wound."

"I'll be the judge of that," stated a young medic, forcefully pushing the Major towards a gurney of his own.

-SGA-

It wasn't until several hours later that Carson received a radio call informing him that a certain Major was waking up. Recording the time on Janssen's chart, Dr Beckett injected a broad spectrum antibiotic into Captain Janssen's IV before disposing of the syringe in the sharps kit and walking to the other side of the infirmary.

It had been touch and go for a while, but it looked like Janssen would pull through. It was lucky that Sheppard had thought to apply the bandage, though- one of Janssen's main problems had been the blood loss, rather than any severe internal damage caused by the bullet itself. Once Janssen was out of surgery it'd been Major Sheppard's turn. The bullet in his arm had missed the Major's humerus by a scant _millimetre_, if that. He was a lucky guy, for sure.

Stepping inside the privacy curtain, Carson reached for his penlight and leaned over Sheppard.

"Come on Major, open your eyes for me son."

Sheppard groaned grumpily, causing Carson to grin.

"Hurry up Major, I've not got all day here!"

One hazel eye blinked blearily up at him, then the other. Seizing the moment, Carson flicked the light in each eye successively, checking his pupil reactions.

"Why d'ya always do that?" queried Sheppard with a slight post-op slur to his voice. "Kinda' puts a man off wakin' up in here…"

"Well you shouldn't be so bloody daft as to get shot then," said Carson. "You were right Major, just a flesh wound. It was close though, you nearly shattered your-"

"What about Janssen? He gonna make it?" interrupted Sheppard, focussing more clearly on Carson and trying to sit up as he began to shake off the after effects of the surgery.

"Yes, he is. We weren't sure for a while, but he's in recovery now. It won't be a five minute fix, but with time he'll be good as new."

Sheppard relaxed, closing his eyes and slouching again.

"You saved his life, you know, Major. If you hadn't applied that dressing…" Carson trailed off. Sheppard had already gone back to sleep.

Sighing, he headed for the infirmary waiting room to try to persuade Elizabeth and the rest of the Major's team to go to bed. Sheppard certainly wouldn't be up to visitors while he slept off the anaesthesia.

-SGA-

When Janssen woke up, he felt like his shoulder was on fire. He could feel the flames radiating around his upper chest, flexing and twisting and burning a path. But it was _good_ fire, dulled by morphine and distanced by anaesthetic. It was fire that meant infirmary and surgery, and no more bullet in his body. He'd been shot before- he knew the pain would pass.

Footsteps at the end of his bed caused him to open his eyes. Major Sheppard was standing there, looking somewhat surprised. Janssen wondered how long he'd been out for- must have been a while for Sheppard to be back in uniform and leaving the infirmary.

"Welcome back, Captain. You're going to be fine. I'll just go get Carson, let him know you're awake." Sheppard turned away, beating a hasty retreat to Carson's office.

"…Sir?" Janssen was surprised at how weak his voice sounded.

His CO looked back to face him, a questioning expression on his face.

"Thank you, sir."

"No sweat, Captain."

Janssen breathed out and closed his eyes again. He knew he'd only have a few minutes of peace before Dr Beckett arrived, probably armed with nurses and needles, demanding samples and tests…

He wondered why Sheppard hadn't just left him. It would have been so easy for the Major to simply dive through the gate. It would have been safer, more logical. His last CO certainly wouldn't have-

No. That was unfair. Colonel McTyre had been a good CO. Probably still was, somewhere back home. Major Sheppard was just… different.

In a good way.

-SGA-

With his wounded arm well bandaged courtesy of one very thorough Scottish doctor, Major John Sheppard sauntered into the science lab with a countenance of pure nonchalance.

"So, Rodney, did we find anything cool? Buried treasure? Secret weapons? Big space ships?" a hint of enthusiasm crept in with the last suggestion.

The physicist scowled.

"Don't you think I would have told you if I had?"

"No," replied Sheppard innocently. "No Rodney, we all know that you like to keep your discoveries to yourself."

Dr Paver giggled mischievously in the corner. "Very true, Major Sheppard, very true indeed. Wouldn't you agree Dr Probst?"

"Hey, give me that!" snapped McKay, grabbing an annotated map of the ruins back from Sheppard.

"Oh, natürlich," smiled the German, sending a grateful glance in the Major's direction.

"Yes, yes," complained Rodney loudly, voice laden with sarcasm. "Mock the intelligent one everybody, I'm sure it'll make you feel better."

"It always does, Dr McKay," grinned Sheppard, snatching back the map again to take a closer look. "Always does."

_Fin._


End file.
